


i like pizza (and maybe you, too)

by ethereal_rainbow



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pizza Place, Confession, Flowers, Fluff, M/M, More Pizza, Pizza, SAY YES, White Day, Will you go out with me, a lot of feelings, channel your love for pizzas, delivery boy jihoon x chef soonyoung, elevation 0 to 100, i dont know what im doing, jihoon has no chill, kisses uwu, loud soonyoung, shy jihoon, soonyoung initiatives, the kiss deal, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23138548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethereal_rainbow/pseuds/ethereal_rainbow
Summary: soonhoon au in which Jihoon works as a pizza delivery boy and Soonyoung’s a chef who’s very strongly in love with pizza and maybe Jihoon as well.
Relationships: Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 102





	i like pizza (and maybe you, too)

Jihoon couldn’t remember the time when he didn’t have to wake up at seven in the morning. Truly, what a cruel work shift time frame. He’d already made his way through the crowd at the train stations; what day was it anyway? Everyone was running around and squeezing through others, it kind of reminded Jihoon of vacuum-packed food.

He was probably getting hungry.

Maneuvering through the pedestrian walkways and multiple zebra crossings, he sighed. But he couldn’t sigh. He was just a little out of breath— not from the running, but from the breath he had to hold in order to squeeze past big bulky people who are highly-likely unshowered.

When he pushed through the glass doors and welcomed himself into the dark restaurant, there was an inch of him that wanted to faint right then and there. He didn’t remember it being so hard getting from place to place— from his mini apartment room to The Pizza Palace.

He threw his bag into his cubicle in the staff storeroom and took his delivery coat. Originally, he wanted to look for his Pizza-Palace-helmet, since names were printed on them, but he started smelling baked pizzas coming in from the kitchen. Hold on, what time was it now? Was there someone at the kitchen already?

He dusted his hands and walked lightly towards the back. He began fixing the buttons of his coat.

Oh, right. There was only one person who could be earlier than him on  _ all _ shifts— Kwon Soonyoung.

He opened the mini door on the wall, which was for the chefs to take orders and for the staff to take the food. But instead of seeing the inside of the kitchen, he saw brown boxes. More brown boxes.

Until some of them were taken to the back, and he caught a glimpse of the boy.

“Jihoon!” Soonyoung turned around with at least four pizza boxes heaved on his hands, and it made Jihoon just a tad bit nervous he would walk into something he shouldn’t.

He lightly waved back. “Hi, Soonyoung.”

It was a bit awkward.

Very awkward.

Since the incident where two of their co-workers – specifically Seungkwan and Mingyu – told them they’d look cute together right in front of them, that uneasy atmosphere still hadn’t died down.

Well, to Jihoon anyway. Soonyoung— he seemed pretty normal. And by normal, he meant making pizzas, laughing, and being a little bit high in all of his interactions. The usual.

When Soonyoung returned from relocating the pizza boxes, he exited the kitchen and stood in front of Jihoon. He wiped a drip of sweat trickling down his forehead. He looked like he was nervous to say something.

But being Soonyoung, he probably ended up saying it anyway.

“Jihoon.” Their eyes met in the most awkward way possible. Jihoon felt his heart threatening to explode behind his ribcage. Mr. Kwon Soonyoung just said his name, why did it send him through flying dimensions?

When Seungkwan and Mingyu joked around, Jihoon  _ really _ thought it was a joke— not like it was supposed to spark feelings or something!

Soonyoung scanned Jihoon’s face. “You… know what day it is today?” A pause. “Valentine’s day.” Was it just him or did he sound a bit sad?

It was probably almost nine in the morning. They have to open the doors some time soon. Jihoon tried to steady his heart, but it was a failed attempt. He watched Soonyoung’s hand reach towards his face, and for a second, he thought Soonyoung told Seungkwan and Mingyu to make that kind of joke.

When did this all start?

“Well…” Soonyoung tried giving a smile. “I’d been working hard since six in the morning with deliveries being made since midnight.”  _ Wow _ …

Jihoon didn’t know how to react;  _ Congratulations? _

With a smooth motion with his thumb, he added, “How about… a kiss every order?”  _ Was he crazy?! _

Out of reflex, Jihoon pressed his weak hands against Soonyoung’s chest, trying to push him away. He was getting too close. If he got any closer, Jihoon’s face was going to burn.

But maybe the message came off as Jihoon didn’t want to— but on the contrary, there was a part of Jihoon that wanted to say  _ yes _ .

Instead, his mouth ran. “Soonyoung… I— I think it’s time to open now.”

He kept his head down and ducked away from his hand, skipping towards the front gate, panting.  _ Was that… real? _

◇◇◇

Jihoon could barely contain the ridiculous beating of his heart since the  _ instant _ Kwon Soonyoung indirectly confessed to him. Did that count as a confession? An invasion of privacy? All laws and ways of life in Jihoon’s brain had tuned out completely— he wasn’t sure how to deal with it all.

He was probably overthinking it.

And he was brought back to reality by a nudge of a shoulder. “Your orders are ready?”

It took Jihoon a split second to jump two inches away from Kim Mingyu. His head was still spinning, spinning faster than a top, spinning faster than Soonyoung’s dance— just  _ why _ was he thinking about him  _ again _ ?

“Yes, yes. I’ll set off right now.” To Mingyu, Jihoon’s talking was probably bland and flat. Maybe it appeared as if Jihoon didn’t care about pizzas at all, but he did— a little too much. And his head used to be only filled with pizzas during Pizza-Palace hours, but well, he guessed it was going to be replaced with Pizza-Palace-and-Kwon-Soonyoung for a while now.

Hopping off to the back of the counter, Mingyu shouted back, “Okay!”

Jihoon picked up the boxes from the side, unable to catch a glimpse of Soonyoung as he’d already disappeared into the kitchen. His fingertips burned lightly at the heat, but he sucked in a breath and made his way to his mini motorbike. In all honesty, the Pizza Palace motorbike often comes off too enthusiastic to most people, and it may have been a bit too vibrant for Jihoon.

But for these pizzas, he’ll –  _ likely  _ – do anything.

He booted up his motorbike, and even though it took a few worrying minutes, it was ready to get going. Buttoning the helmet tight, Jihoon secured his bag of pizzas behind him on the soft cushion of the bike.

He drove off to the horizon, his heart still trying hard to calm down.

Jihoon tightened his grip onto the handles, fishing out the order receipt picked up from the pile of boxes.

> _ Order One _
> 
> _ Name: Seungcheol _
> 
> _ Account: seungcheolXX@XXX.com _
> 
> _ Order: _
> 
> _Hawaiian Pizza (L)_ _x 1_
> 
> _Chicken Nuggets (15pcs)_ _x 2_
> 
> _Cheesy Wedges (5pcs)_ _x 2_
> 
> _Fries (L)_ _x 1_
> 
> _ Notes: _
> 
> _ tell me your bank account number _
> 
> _ Delivery by: _
> 
> __ _ Lee Jihoon _

“What the—” He had so many questions; one of which was why the heck this customer wanted his bank account number. This customer—  _ Seungcheol _ … could it be him?

When he’d reached the address listed on the back, he navigated through the small roads and found a small cottage-like home. Just that— the only aspect missing was the smoking chimney. Two round orbs of light settled above the spot of the doorbell. It was his first time seeing a red standing mailbox that was not attached to the gate.

He balanced his bike softly against the wall of the gate, and pressed his finger against the doorbell. He felt rocks and sand changing his fingerprint already.

“Pizza’s here!” As the voice gradually got louder, Jihoon saw a young man running out onto the off-white porch behind the gate. The roof was pointed, and for some odd reason, Jihoon thought the owner of this house was rich enough to own this and live  _ alone _ .

Clearing his throat, Jihoon didn’t waste a second staring down at the receipt to read out the orders. “So your orders, sir; one large Hawaiian pizza, two boxes with fifteen pieces of chicken nuggets each, two boxes with five pieces of cheesy wedges each, and a bag of large fries.” A sigh. “And no, I will not tell you my bank account number.”

“Jihoon?”

_ Why the hell would this person reply his name when he’s reading out his pizza orders? _ Jihoon looked up, about to turn into a frustrated marshmallow, when he saw a familiar face through the gaps in the gate.  _ So it is _ — “Choi Seungcheol?”

It had been a while since they met. They used to be close friends in high school, before transferring to different places. He guessed they were once so close that they almost had a thing for one another, though they were always running out of time— and eventually, nothing really worked out.

This brief and sudden meeting had greatly shown their differences; with this cottage-like home versus Jihoon’s Pizza-Palace motorbike.

“You’re a pizza delivery boy?” Seungcheol seemed surprised. Jihoon thought it would be pretty normal to find a part-time job like this, it didn’t require much experience anyway. “Pizza Palace?”

“Yeah, is it surprising?” He passed the boxes to Seungcheol after seeing a gap opening between the gates. He ticked off the receipt and slipped it into his jacket pocket.

Seungcheol let out a small laugh which made Jihoon wonder whether it was a good or bad sign. “You’re working with Soonyoung?”

“We—” Thank God he wasn’t holding boxes in his hands in that instant; he would’ve dropped them all completely and destroyed them to bits.  _ Soonyoung? How did he know about Soonyoung? _

The thought of him made his heart race faster than the speed of the cars passing on the road behind him. He wanted to avoid this topic altogether for the duration of his shift. What brought them to this?

“I guess you are.” Seungcheol looked down at his pizzas. “Thanks for these, by the way. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

“Happy Valentine’s…” Jihoon raised a hand to wave, but he was already staring at Seungcheol’s back turned towards the gaps of the gate.

◇◇◇

The sun was high up in the sky, and it was as if the whole world was against him; even the heavens, because there were no clouds shading him from the blazing sunlight  _ at all _ . Jihoon felt a sweat drip from the side of his head.

He’d checked off about five receipts, and everyone was just starting to wake. The afternoon sun told Jihoon,  _ personally _ , that he still had a whole day of pizza-delivering to do. Under this summer heat.

But there was just one more house to reach—  _ before seeing Soonyoung again _ . Why was that something to be happy about? He stuffed a fistful of cloth into his palm, resting his hand on his chest as he pulled up in front of a white gate. The wall was shorter than he thought, and cleaner as well. It had a rocky painted surface on the top layer, and there was a grid of gaps to allow him to take a glimpse inside. A huge front door. A few thousand windows. Bigger than Seungcheol’s cottage. But, it looked busy. He could subtly hear the sound of little kids running around in the backyard.

He pressed a finger against the doorbell. It was a softer button, he guessed that the owners of the house paid a lot of attention to cleanliness; it was quite impressive. He looked down at the slightly crumpled receipt.

> _ Order Six _
> 
> _ Name: juncat _
> 
> _ Account: junjun0610@XXX.com _
> 
> _ Order: _
> 
> _Couple Set_ _x 1_
> 
> _Cheesy Fiasco Pizza (M)_ _x 1_
> 
> _Garlic bread (M)_ _x 2_
> 
> _Drummettes (L)_ _x 1_
> 
> _ Notes: _
> 
> _ ring the doorbell only ONCE please _
> 
> _ Delivery by: _
> 
> _ Lee Jihoon _

Jihoon let out a small smile.  _ This is definitely Wen Junhui _ . Wen Junhui from Food Tech class two years ago. He pressed his finger against the doorbell again; just to tease him.

“Lee Jihoon— I swear—”

“I will now repeat your order; one couple set, one medium cheesy fiasco pizza, two rolls of garlic bread, one large box of drummettes.” Jihoon stuffed the receipt back in his pocket, and handed the boxes into Jun’s hands as he walked out into the sun. The pizzas smelled great; he just wished he could take a bite.

Jun narrowed his eyes at him. “I knew it— only one person on this earth will ring my doorbell twice— and that is you.”

He couldn’t hold back a small laugh. “Good morning…?”

“Long time no see.” Jun took a good look at his face. “You know…” He turned around to pass the boxes to someone else; A kid? It must be— they ran back into the house leaping. “Soonyoung keeps telling me about you these days.”

He brought up Soonyoung again; it was time for Jihoon to throw hands. “You’re still in touch?”

Jun’s furrowed eyebrows told him he shouldn’t have said anything. “Of course! And he even told me that he won’t give up chasing you until—”

“I… have to return to the quarters.” Jihoon couldn’t listen on; it would give away the ridiculous beating of his heart, the red dye seeping into his cheeks, and the uncontrollable thoughts of Soonyoung circulating in his mind.

He hopped back into the bike, and Jun waved. “Alright, then. Hope you’ll accept him and his heart! He’s a great person, even though he might appear a bit high sometimes.” He flashed a small genuine smile. “And I won’t doubt that you know that, too.”

Jihoon bit down on his lower lip. He debated how to reply. And he settled for a rather cold, “Goodbye.”

How was Jihoon going to face him now?

◇◇◇

The shopfront was  _ busy _ . Pizza Palace looked like it was taking in several billion customers at the same time. It was almost one in the afternoon, and it was lunch time for the staff as well. There are fifteen more delivery orders that Jihoon was supposed to take, but the scents of pizza led him to put that on hold for a while.

Entering Pizza Palace, customers filled every space, and waiters were running around taking orders. Pizzas were being continuously sent out every second, and he wasn’t even exaggerating. The seven chefs were working hard.

He pushed through the customers and working waiters, reaching the back kitchen door and pushed himself inside.

Peace and quiet. Sort of. Everyone was still running around taking ketchup and freshly baked pizzas. Mingyu passed in front of Jihoon, eyes wide open. “Oh, you’re back. For lunch?”

“Yeah. The pizzas are getting the better of me.” He disappeared into a small room at the back. This was where the staff chill out, if there was any time to chill, that is. Pizzas that were made incorrectly were thrown out on the table, and anyone could take it.

Jihoon rinsed the rocks and sand off his palms, rubbing them with a soft cloth. He stole a slice and took a bite. Finally, the salty taste of pizzas, the ketchup and the cheese. He’d been holding back from asking the customers to feed him pizza.

Licking the remaining bits on his finger, he exhaled into the air. It was peaceful behind here; where everyone was busy at the front, and he could have some rest. Jihoon splashed some water on his face, feeling the cold droplets slide down his jaw. He swore he could feel the sun burning his skin just now.

“Hey, you’re back.”

He didn’t have to turn around to guess who it was. And he guessed his heart didn’t understand what  _ stay still _ meant.  _ Breathe, Lee Jihoon, I swear to God. _ He took a deep breath before spinning around. “Soonyoung?”

Soonyoung took a glimpse outside before approaching him with a small smile. “I’m escaping just for a little while.”

“Your shift…” He was getting distracted with the distinct collar bones popping out under Soonyoung’s shirt. “You’re not…”

What was he gonna say? It wasn’t as if he didn’t want him to stay.

“Jihoon.” The way Soonyoung says his name made him want to apologise for every mistake he’d ever made in his life. Soonyoung reached for his hand, and he let him take it. Jihoon reassured himself that it was for  _ comfort _ . Hopefully Soonyoung wouldn’t realise how fast his pulse was under his wrist.

“Yeah?”

Soonyoung’s eyes turned upwards into crescent moons. “Seeing you, I’m really happy.”

Jihoon’s stomach churned with butterflies.

“I…” Soonyoung reached another hand out to touch his cheek. Jihoon felt the need to hold that hand there, no matter what. “I’ll be back to hang out with you really soon.”

He felt himself nod subconsciously, drowned in the beautiful brown eyes that bore galaxies within. He would live in them any day.

Soonyoung’s grin could light up a million dark cities, and he could even substitute the sun. He approached him and for a second, Jihoon felt safe. Soonyoung brought him into his embrace, planting a light kiss on Jihoon’s soft – and potentially tinted pink – cheek. The warmth of his kiss gave Jihoon all the energy in the world— he felt like he could run a thousand errands and not get tired.

“I can only give this to you for now.” When he tore himself off and took a leap back into the kitchen, Jihoon was left with steam rising from the top of his head. Jihoon felt cold, missing the warmth he had within his arms. Soonyoung called back, “I’ll see you soon!”

Jihoon reached up to touch the spot where his lips touched. He could barely keep his mouth closed breathing.

_ A chef’s kiss _ .

◇◇◇

When Jihoon received the last receipt for today, the boxes were already packed into the bag. Customers were leaving, and it had been a long day for everyone. Mingyu was slumped on a chair, wiping his sweat with a damp cloth. The last few tables were laughing, and having a great time. The room seemed to divide into two in that moment.

Jihoon examined the receipt. The top half of the receipt was scratched off, and he could barely read the details.

> _ Order Seventeen _
> 
> _ Order: _
> 
> _Couple Set_ _x 1_
> 
> _Drummettes (L)_ _x 1_
> 
> _White Rice (L)_ _x 2_
> 
> _ Notes: _
> 
> _ say yes _
> 
> _ Delivery by: _
> 
> _ Lee Jihoon _

He was about to leave, and for a second, he’d thought the kitchen would be livelier with Soonyoung.  _ Wait _ .

“Seungkwan,” Jihoon called out, tapping him on the shoulder. “Where’s Soonyoung?”

He blew out a breath through his lips and fanned himself with a promotion poster. He thought about it, but chimed up to reply, “Oh, Soonyoung— he left early, because he’d been here for so long already. He… said he had something important to do?”

_ Right, he’d been here since dawn. There… was something important to do? _

“I thought he would’ve told you?”

Jihoon shook his head. “No, he didn’t… maybe we were too busy.”

Seungkwan gave him a smile, before attending to a customer nearby. Jihoon thought Soonyoung would tell him, too. Where could he be?

He hopped onto his motorbike, and drove down the road, under a sky full of stars.

◇◇◇

The house he’d stopped in front of was tiny compared to the others. It was compact, and there wasn’t a gate. He walked onto the porch, to see that there were shops and restaurants on the same row. He leaned his bike against the mailbox, and rang the doorbell.

He waited for a while, prepared to fish out the receipt to read the orders.  _ Say yes? Say yes to what? _

A few minutes passed. No response.

He was starting to get worried that the pizzas were getting cold. The wind blowing in this area sent a cold chill down his spine and across his arm. He rang a few more times, and when there wasn’t a response, he considered to leave.

But this was the last order. He ought to wait and avoid wasting this few boxes of food. Plus, what if the owner really liked white rice, just like him, they would be disappointed to find out that it wasn’t delivered after all, right?

He could wait a while.

Jihoon placed the boxes back into the bag. Nearby, he saw a little florist shop, and in there, there were empty racks that showed just how much love and confessions went on today. He approached the rack, and saw a small red rose stand on its own.

It was as if he’d spiritually been connected to the rose, and its beauty, and its loneliness, he seemed to have felt it all. He took it in his hands, and there were no thorns on its sides. It was Valentine’s Day. Just what if… he gave this to— Soonyoung? It was bizarre to even believe he had that thought.

“Young man.” An old store lady appeared next to him. She dusted soil from her hands as they fell to the floor. “You can take that for free if you want.”

“Really?” Jihoon could pay for it. She didn’t have to. He was ready to take out his wallet.

“After you’ve looked at that rose with that expression, how can I not give it to you? Just take it— it probably dropped from a bouquet.” She flashed him a toothy smile, and walked off towards the back.

“Thank you,” Jihoon tried to say.

He wrapped his fingers tightly around the rose.  _ It will have a new home very soon. _

Jihoon returned to the house and there was still no response from the owner of the house. He sighed, and sat on the stairs before the main door. He watched couples crossing the road in front of him, laughing and holding onto one another. The feeling tied Jihoon’s heart with chains and pulled it tight, so much that he could feel the pain.

A cold drop chilled his arm and he almost thought they were his tears, but no— it was drizzling. When this light rain turns into a storm, he’d leave.

Just as he was about to make sure of that, he didn’t feel the drizzles anymore. He thought the skies had listened to him once, but he looked up to see a figure holding an umbrella over his head. “You’re early.”

“Soonyoung?”  _ Woah, hold up— _ “This is your house?”

Soonyoung’s white shirt was now paired with trousers, and the brief dampness on his shirt made it stick to his toned arms. Jihoon could only hear the beating of his heart through his ears, being reminded of the kiss in the staff’s room.

And in Soonyoung’s hand— was a bouquet of flowers.

And he just realised he was holding a rose, too.

Soonyoung ignited the night sky with the biggest smile. “Don’t sit out here, let’s go in.”

“Oh, uh…” Jihoon got up and let Soonyoung wrench the door open, feeling the dim yellow light on his skin. Inside the house, there were paintings hung up, and Jihoon saw a consistent pattern: they were all paintings of tigers.

And the pattern continued, evident in his tiger figurines, and stuffed tiger plushies on the couch.

Jihoon brought the pizzas into the house and placed them on the dining table. Soonyoung laid them out, and the scent of pizzas wasn’t destroyed in the wait. Watching the golden light delve into Soonyoung’s skin made Jihoon’s stomach curl, and he suddenly missed the warmth of his embrace.

“Jihoon…” Soonyoung approached him, holding his bouquet of flowers. “I hope you like that I ordered two bowls of white rice for you.” A charming smile.

He was so mesmerised he barely remembered where he was, what he was doing, who he was talking to— “For… me?”

Soonyoung held out his flowers. “Will you go out with me?”

_ Ah.  _ And it all connects.  _ The receipt. It said: say yes. _

He felt his cheeks warm, and the rims of his eyes built up with tears. This was so expected, why was this such a touching moment? His rose was probably crumpled somewhere in his palm, and he could barely compare it to the bouquet of flowers he’d brought him.

All he did— was reach out his hands to allow Soonyoung to bring him into his warmth once again. _ Yes. Yes, I will. _

The bouquet of flowers sat by the pizzas and the bowls of white rice. Jihoon stuck his cheek against Soonyoung’s chest, feeling the rhythmic beating of his heart almost as fast as his own. Soonyoung’s hands ran through his hair, murmuring, “Remember our deal?”

Jihoon pursed his lips.  _ What a way of saying such embarrassing things! _

“How many orders did you get?” Soonyoung took Jihoon’s rose and placed it on his ear. He wet his lips before filling his palm with Jihoon’s cheek, as if he would never let go.

Jihoon sunk into the worlds of Soonyoung’s eyes and his smile. “Seventeen…”

A run of a thumb against his cheek could send Jihoon running a thousand miles around this small neighbourhood. He was going to explode under Soonyoung’s touch. He wondered what a kiss would do to him.

Soonyoung laughed, and his voice sounded like chimes. The most beautiful chimes in the world. “I was just kidding.” He touched Jihoon’s nose with his, and Jihoon closed his eyes, letting his rapid breathing and undeniable desire for a kiss take over him. “I like you a lot.”

He wouldn’t ever let him know, but Jihoon was planning to launch himself into space  _ just _ as he said that. He should reply. Say how much he likes him, too. Talk about feelings. His mind was a blank slate. “I… I like pizza—”

“Oh, Jihoon… I thought I was the weird one.” He was about to deny and fight back, but the next thing he knew, Soonyoung’s lips were warm against his own. They danced— ballads at first. And Jihoon wished he accepted more orders for the kiss to turn from ballads to hip hop. His lips lingered there as if it was supposed to say,  _ thank goodness, I finally found you _ .

When they part, Jihoon regretted not holding him closer.

“That was one.”

_ He’s keeping count?! _

Jihoon’s voice was small, and he never knew he would ever say these words, or encourage this behaviour— “Sixteen more to go.”

And Soonyoung brought him into another world through his lips— and the pizza could never be warmer than how it felt to be held in Soonyoung’s arms.

_ I would never love pizza more than I love you. _

**Author's Note:**

> happy almost-a-whole-month-after valentines :) aka white day :) so happy white day :) & pi day !!
> 
> AAAAAAAAAAAA jihoon's cover has me crying ;-; i love him
> 
> feel free to hmu !! [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/tangyuan__) [cc](https://curiouscat.me/tangyuan)


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